A civil court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, found Meta liable on Tuesday for endangering young users of its platforms, establishing a significant legal precedent for social media accountability.
The California-based company was ordered to pay $375 million in damages, a substantial amount though less than the approximately $2 billion sought by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, who initiated the legal proceedings. The ruling comes as scrutiny intensifies over the potential harms of social media on young people, impacting investor sentiment toward tech companies.
Shortly after the decision was announced, a Meta spokesperson stated the social media giant intends to appeal.
“We perform hard to protect people on our platforms and are transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing malicious users and harmful content,” the spokesperson added.
Attorney General Torrez filed suit against Meta in late 2023, alleging the company put children at risk by exposing them to inappropriate content and potential sexual predators.
“New Mexico is proud to be the first state to hold social media companies accountable for misleading parents, enabling the exploitation of children, and endangering young people,” Torrez said in a statement.
He added that the damages awarded to victims “should send a clear message to tech executives” and that “no company is above the law.”
“This is a turning point for all parents concerned about what might happen to their children online, and this victory is theirs,” Torrez concluded.
New Legal Strategy
The jury reached a decision after less than a day of deliberation, following six weeks of testimony.
The $2 billion initially requested by the Attorney General was calculated based on the number of monthly users of Facebook and Instagram under the age of 18 in New Mexico, estimated at just over 200,000.
During closing arguments on Monday, Linda Singer, representing the state, accused Meta of deceptively communicating about its protections for minors.
She also criticized the Menlo Park, California-based company for encouraging excessive leverage of its platforms by minors, despite knowing the potential consequences.
This argument mirrors the approach taken in a separate trial in Los Angeles against Meta and Google, where the jury is currently deliberating.
In the California case, a young woman is seeking damages from both tech giants, alleging they knowingly designed their applications to maximize user engagement among young people.
She claims that her use of Instagram and YouTube, subsidiaries of Meta and Google respectively, contributed to depression, anxiety, and body image issues.
Historically, social media operators have been shielded from liability for user-generated content through Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
In both the Santa Fe and Los Angeles cases, plaintiffs have adopted a new legal strategy, accusing the companies of intentionally designing their platforms to be addictive.
The Los Angeles trial, like the New Mexico case, is considered a key test for the future of hundreds of similar lawsuits pending across the United States.
Prior to the verdict, a Meta spokesperson asserted that the prosecution “did not prove its case.”
“We will continue to vigorously defend and remain confident in our safety measures regarding protecting teens online,” the spokesperson said after the decision was announced.
Beyond the appeal process, the case will proceed to a second phase, where the Attorney General’s claim that Meta created a public nuisance will be examined.
This article was published automatically. Sources: ats / afp
